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WFI 2026 Presentations List

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and hyperscale data centers is driving unprecedented increases in computing density and cooling demand. As facilities transition from traditional air-cooled environments toward liquid and hybrid cooling architectures, effective filtration is becoming increasingly important to system reliability, efficiency, and long-term performance. This presentation explores the evolving role of filtration in next-generation data centers, from conventional air-side filtration to the specialized requirements of liquid-cooled technology cooling systems. Topics include contamination risks, filtration within coolant distribution units (CDUs), coarse and fine particulate filtration, multi-stage filtration strategies, real-time monitoring, and the relationship between coolant cleanliness and equipment performance. The presentation will also examine how continued data center growth and the adoption of liquid cooling are creating new opportunities for filtration technologies, monitoring, maintenance, and optimization. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how filtration requirements are changing as data centers become larger, denser, and increasingly dependent on advanced cooling technologies.

Advanced Clean Cooling: Filtration for Next Generation of Data Centers

Mr. Matt Koukl

Principal
Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI), US

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Sterile filtration is one of the critical steps in the production of parenteral drug products, ensuring sterility for drug formulations that cannot be sterilized by heat / chemicals. However, the development of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) systems for delivery of mRNA vaccines, the use of nanoemulsions for drug delivery and as vaccine adjuvants, and the application of inactivated and attenuated viruses have created new challenges for sterile filtration due to the large size (typically >100 nm) and complex biophysics of these products. This talk highlights how these challenges are being addressed through research that has provided new understanding of the fundamental mechanisms controlling the filter capacity, the rate of fouling, and product yield during sterile filtration through 0.2 µm pore size-rated sterile filters. LNP fouling occurs through pore blockage that leads to fusion of LNP particles, resulting in a thin lipid film that covers the surface of the sterile filter and reduces the area available for flow. Nanoemulsion filtration is governed by the forces required to deform and push the soft nanodroplets through the membrane pores; these forces can be significantly altered by changing the surface chemistry of the sterile filter by pretreatment with surfactants to alter the surface hydrophobicity. In both cases, the use of appropriate pore size prefilters can significantly enhance the sterile filtration performance by removing larger particles / aggregates that serve as key foulants. These results not only provide new insights into the sterile filtration behavior of these complex biotherapeutics, but they also provide guidelines for process design / optimization as well as strategies that can be used to develop next generation sterile filters that can effectively address the unique challenges in processing these large biopharmaceutical products.

New Challenges and Opportunities in the Sterile Filtration of Biopharmaceuticals

Dr. Andrew L. Zydney

Bayard D. Kunkle Chair and Professor
Penn State University, USA

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Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane technology has witnessed significant advancements in energy recovery and materials since its introduction to the market. However, these membranes are traditionally considered consumables, with a single life cycle in a specific process. Consequently, when standard cleaning rocedures fail to restore membrane performance, they are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated. With an estimated global annual disposal of over 1.5 million end-of-life RO membranes, it is crucial to transition from this linear use-and-disposal model toward a more sustainable, circular approach. This work aims to advance technologies in adapting industrial RO membranes for reuse within the same facilities or at different locations. Ecomemb is a spin-off of the University of Girona and the Catalan Institute for Water Research, founded in 2022 as the first European ompany dedicated to the sustainable regeneration of spiral-wound reverse osmosis membranes. The presentation will showcase the lab-to-market journey and the most representative industrial applications of regenerated membranes over the last six years. The regenerated membranes have demonstrated positive impacts on RO system performance by increasing water production, decreasing operating pressure, meeting water quality standards, reducing economic costs (membrane replacement and monthly energy consumption), and reducing environmental impact (277-fold lower CO₂ emissions compared to producing a new membrane).

Ecomembranes: Recovered Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Reuse in Industrial Water Treatment

Dr. Raquel García-Pacheco

CEO & Founder
Ecomemb, Spain

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Air intake filtration systems for gas turbines and compressors are required to operate under challenging environmental conditions, including high humidity, fog, rain, and salt-laden coastal air. In such environments, insufficient water management can lead to elevated pressure drop, reduced equipment performance, corrosion, and increased maintenance requirements. Consequently, the ability of filtration systems to retain and separate water has become a critical performance parameter. ISO 29461-2 provides a standardized method for evaluating water penetration and pressure drop behaviour of filter elements under wet operating conditions, while the recently published ISO 29461-4 extends performance assessment to coastal and offshore applications by combining salt aerosol exposure, humidity cycling, and water challenges under controlled laboratory conditions. This presentation demonstrates how the introduction of these standardized test methods has significantly improved the ability to characterize and compare the water handling capabilities of turbomachinery intake filters. Beyond supporting product qualification, the new methodologies provide valuable design feedback by revealing the influence of filter media properties, hydrophobic treatments, pleat geometry, drainage behaviour, and overall system configuration on water retention performance. Laboratory investigations performed according to the latest ISO 29461 test procedures are presented and correlated with the development of advanced intake filtration concepts. Particular attention is given to the optimization of water-retaining filtration systems, which were developed using insights gained from the new testing approaches. The results confirm that the new ISO 29461 test methods provide a more realistic and application-oriented assessment of filtration performance in humid and marine environments. They not only improve comparability between filter technologies but also accelerate the development of next-generation air intake filtration systems capable of delivering enhanced protection and operational reliability for turbomachinery operating under demanding environmental conditions. **Keywords:** turbomachinery, air intake filtration, ISO 29461-2, ISO 29461-4, water retention, water penetration, coastal environment, offshore filtration, hydroMaxx, T60 hydro.

New Test Methods Enable Optimized Water Retention in Turbomachinery Air Intake Systems

Dr. Thomas Caesar

Vice President Global Filter Engineering
Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, Germany

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Filtration media have traditionally been designed as passive barriers that remove particulate contaminants from fluids. However, many industrial processes require solutions that go beyond particle capture alone, creating demand for filtration media that actively contribute to process performance. This evolution is driving the development of multifunctional media capable of addressing multiple process challenges within a single filtration step. This presentation explores how engineered filtration media can be transformed into active process solutions through the incorporation of functionalized powders directly within fibrous media structures. By embedding adsorptive or reactive materials into the filtration medium itself, filtration systems can simultaneously remove particulates while targeting dissolved or degradation compounds that cannot be effectively controlled through conventional filtration mechanisms. The result is a simplified and more efficient process without the need for additional treatment steps or equipment. A case study from hot cooking oil filtration illustrates this approach. In this application, a wetlaid filtration pad incorporates a functional powder specifically designed to reduce degradation compounds generated during frying while maintaining effective particulate removal. Unlike traditional filtration systems that require operators to handle and dose loose filtration aids separately, the functional material is permanently integrated into the media structure. This simplifies operation, improves process consistency, reduces handling and cleanup, and can encourage more frequent and consistent filtration practices by removing barriers associated with conventional powder-based systems. The results demonstrate how functionalized filtration media can extend fluid life, improve process efficiency, enhance oil management, reduce resource consumption, and support more sustainable operations. More broadly, this technology highlights an emerging direction for the filtration industry: the evolution of filter media from passive separation materials into active process solutions that not only remove contaminants but also improve the performance, simplicity, and reliability of the processes they serve.

Functionalized Filtration Media: When Filter Media Become Process Solutions

Dr. Cédric Vallet

Head of Business Development
Ahlstrom, France

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While the products from mining—including copper, nickel, cobalt, and other elements—are essential for modern life and the energy transition, the geology of their deposits presents us with a significant challenge. After the valuable elements are recovered, the remaining waste products (typically a combination of barren gangue material and residual metals) represent the heaviest waste problem in human history in terms of tonnage. Every two weeks or less, the mass of mine waste generated equals the combined mass of every human on Earth. Furthermore, this waste material, which is frequently a mixture of solids and water, can cause harm. This harm may be slow and persistent (acid seepage) or fast and devastating, as in the case of a tailings dam failure. With demand for these elements increasing and the grades of the ores we mine continuing to decline, this waste challenge will only grow. Driven by the investment community and other stakeholders, there is a strong trend toward reducing the risk associated with tailings storage while enhancing water recovery through dewatering, with filtration representing the ultimate solution. This presentation will examine these trends, illustrating a number of the factors that influence the viability and long-term performance of tailings filtration plants. The presentation will also introduce TailingsPlant.app, a completely free-to-use, sponsor-supported web application for anyone interested in filtration for mineral processing. The application includes calculators for sizing filtration plants, estimating water recovery, and predicting filter cake properties.

Safer Storage of Mine Waste, Water Recovery and Unlocking Tailings Reprocessing

Dr. Trevor Sparks

Principal
Kipinat Ltd., UK

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Modern liquid separation techniques heavily utilize immersion cast membrane-based technology which relies on a tortuous path of pores through a solid structure to accomplish an ideal separation outcome. These membranes often have a broad pore-size distribution and require greater depth to achieve the desired filtration efficiency. Nanofibers which are distributed in a nonwoven structure can achieve comparable target retention to a cast immersion membrane with a tighter pore size distribution over a much thinner profile lending to higher selectivity, higher flux and lower pressure drop. Further, nanofibers can be controlled to certain pore cutoffs and customized with different polymers making them a versatile choice for hard to separate applications and those with specific chemical resistance. This type of technology is ideal for supporting a more sustainable process where minimizing energy, waste and time is critical. This talk will explore the benefits of a nanofiber composite, demonstrate performance data and explain its flexibility in a variety of liquid filtration applications.

Nanofiber Technology for a more Sustainable Filtration Process

Ms. Emily Peterson

Director, R&D
Hollingsworth & Vose, USA

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Virus filtration remains a cornerstone of viral clearance strategies in biopharmaceutical downstream processing, providing robust, removal of both large and small viruses. As therapeutic modalities and feed streams grow increasingly diverse and challenging to filter, selecting the right filtration strategy has become critical to maintaining both product safety and process economics. This presentation offers an overview of virus filtration for process development scientists and bioprocessing professionals. We'll begin with the role virus filters play within a broader purification platform. From there, the focus shifts to why prefilters matter for protecting virus filter capacity and throughput, how performance varies across different monoclonal antibody feed streams, and how to use pH and conductivity conditions to guide prefilter selection. The talk will also introduce Viresolve Pro-S, a next-generation virus filter designed to improve throughput for difficult-to-filter feed streams and reduce adsorptive fouling compared to earlier-generation devices, with a brief look at the underlying membrane chemistry driving these improvements.

Virus Filtration in Downstream Bioprocessing: Prefilter Strategies and Next-Generation Membrane Technology

Mr. Jaime De Souza

Sr. Process Development Scientist
MilliporeSigma, USA

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The biopharmaceutical industry continues to demand higher standards of product quality, process efficiency, and regulatory compliance, driving ongoing innovation in sanitary centrifuge technology. This presentation, “The Latest Designs and Wide Range of Applications of Modern Sanitary Centrifuges for the Biopharmaceutical Industry,” will offer a high level overview of the newest advancements in centrifuge design and their expanding role across bioprocessing operations. Attendees will gain insight into how modern sanitary centrifuges are engineered to meet increasingly stringent industry requirements for high-quality construction, hygienic design, achieving robust cleaning validation and reliable process performance. Key design features such as optimized cleanability, fully drainable product-contact surfaces, minimized dead legs and automation integration will be discussed, along with their impact on operational reliability and regulatory compliance. Participants will leave with a practical understanding of how the latest sanitary centrifuge designs can help optimize biopharmaceutical manufacturing while meeting today's demanding quality and compliance expectations.

Latest Designs and Applications of Modern Sanitary Centrifuges for the Biopharmaceutical Industry

Mr. Michael J. Rohr

Sales Manager
Chem/Pharm/Biotech, GEA, US

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